A miniature portrait of Maharaja, Chhatrasal. Source: Wikipedia

thumbnail_Maharaja_Chhatrasal_1.jpg

Maharaja_Chhatrasal_1.jpg

You are probably quite familiar with the famous love story of Bajirao Mastani. The Maratha Peshwa falls in love and marries the daughter of a Rajput chief and his Muslim concubine. But, our story is neither about Bajirao nor Mastani. Instead, the protagonist we are highlighting is the lesser-known Rajput chief and Mastani’s father, Maharaja Chhatrasal.

The Bundela Rajputs were the successors of the Chedi dynasty of the 16th century. Similar to most Hindu regional kingdoms of the medieval period, the Bundelas staunchly resisted the rule of the Mughal Empire and constantly engaged in warfare with them. The hero of our story, Maharaja Chhatrasal, was one such Rajput ruler who resented the Mughals and stood against them to protect his beloved kingdom, Bundelkhand. The region of Bundelkhand comprises portions of the modern-day Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

Chhatrasal was born on May 4th, 1649 AD to Champat Rai and Sarandha (Laad Kuvari) at Kachar Kachnaye, Tikamgarh. He was the descendant of Rudra Pratap, the founder of the state of Orchha. Chhatrasal was just 12 years old when his father, Champat Rai, got killed by the army of Aurangzeb. Soon after, his mother committed *sati,* leaving behind an orphaned, homeless boy. Young Chhatrasal was thereafter taken under the wing of Mirza Raja Jai Singh, the Mughal commander of Aurangzeb. Chhatrasal joined the Mughal Army as a soldier, but after proving his courage and efficiency in the battle campaigns against the Marathas, he was awarded *mansabs* and *jagirs* by the emperor. 

> But Chhatrasal remained deeply burdened with guilt for fighting beside his father’s killers. On the other hand, Chhatrasal was highly inspired by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the great Maratha chief, and fighting against him made him highly uncomfortable.
> 

Torn between his urge to remain alive and the duties towards his own people, Chhatrasal remained vague about his purpose in life until he was in his late teens. During one of the many campaigns against the Marathas, Chhatrasal sneaked out of the Mughal camp to meet with Chhatrapati Shivaji and begged him to enlist him in the Maratha army. Shivaji asked Chhatrasal to return to Bundelkhand instead. He said that Chhatrasal should fulfil his duties towards his own people and fight the enemies who killed his father.

> Chhatrasal’s encounter with his role model, Shivaji, was a major turning point in his life. The 22-years-old Chhatrasal returned to Chhatrasal and raised the banner of revolt against the Mughals in 1671.
> 

 At that time, he merely had an army of five horsemen and about 25 swordsmen, but his spirit was unshaken. Thereafter, Chhatrasal devoted his life towards preventing the Mughals from conquering Bundelkhand. He fought approximately 252 wars against the Mughals, of which 52 were severe. He won all of these wars, some with his own army and a few with the aid of the Marathas. In 1728, the 79 years-old Chhatrasal got into a pitched battle with the Mughal army under Muhammad Khan Bangash. The defeat was certain for the old Maharaja, but Peshwa Bajirao I arrived at the last moment and led Bundelkhand to victory. Chhatrasal took his last breath on 20th December 1731, but his memory was kept alive by the people of Bundelkhand.

Chhatrasal was highly revered by his people, not merely for his courage and leadership but also because he played a great role in the patronage of art, culture and spirituality. He was a poet himself and gave patronage to about 82 poets in his state. He was famously known as the “master of pen and sword” (*Kalam aur Talwar ke Dhanee*). Despite being a Hindu, Chhatrasal showed deep religious tolerance and emphasized humanitarian values through his actions. He was a prominent follower of the Nijanand (Parnami) philosophy and had a personal relationship with its founder, Sant Prannath. 

> According to local folklore, Sant Prannath honoured Chhatrasal with the title “Maharaja” and gave him the boon, “May diamonds be always found in your kingdom”. Soon after, the famous Panna diamond mines were discovered in Bundelkhand.
> 

Although there is no proper historical account on Chhatrasal, local folklore and the eulogies of several court poets like Kavi Bhushan, Lal Kavi, and Bakhshi Hansraj have kept his legacy alive in Bundelkhand. The famous Chhatrasal stadium, the Maharaja Chhatrasal museum and the Chhatarpur town were also founded in honour of the great ruler of Bundelkhand. Chhatrasal represents one of the many great heroes of the medieval period, who lit the flame of freedom among the people and refused to succumb to the foreign, oppressive rule of the Mughals.

Our understanding of history often comes from the perspective of those in power. In the process, we overlook the extraordinary experiences of many people because they lived on the peripheries and were seldom mentioned in mainstream sources. Among many such exemplary people was Maharaja Chhatrasal, the local ruler of Bundelkhand, who challenged the great Mughal emperor, Aurangzeb.